"They say they wanted to choice. They wanted to say what the circumstances, the time and the place of their deaths should be," Cheh said. "People who have philosophical or religious objections, no one's being forced to do anything. It's a choice."

Oregon, Vermont and Washington state have similar laws. The issue received national attention last year when Brittany Maynard, a woman with terminal brain cancer, moved from California to Oregon to end her life. Before she died in November at age 29, Maynard urged states to pass death-with-dignity laws. Numerous states are considering such bills.

Under Cheh's bill, patients who are likely to die within 6 months could request lethal medication.